The Simplicity of Problem Solutions

Initially, I wanted to name this post “The Simplicity of Problem Solutions and the Complexity of Systems” But that seemed a little bit too long. I just want to let you know that latter on the post we will talk about System and how they relate to problems.

More likely if you are alive you have some problems to deal in your life right now and (I know you don‘t want to hear this) your future is full of problems you don’t even dream about.

Also, I know that dealing with your problems is not always easy or pleasant.

I would even go as far to say that dealing with problems is one of life tasks people hate most.

Actually, this is a totally wrong sentiment, a myth passed down from generation to generation.

This is similar to the false rumor spread in the school system, that math is hard.

Math is actually very easy, so easy even computers do it if you know what you are doing.

So it is solving life’s problems super easy if you know what you are doing.

How can solving problems be simple?

Here it is:

You are hungry, you eat. You are tired you rest. Your job sucks, you get another job.

Your relationship sucks, you get a new boyfriend/girlfriend.

See how simple it is?

Solving problems is simply because at the basis of every problem there is a fundamental law of nature. It is the law of causality AKA the law of cause and effect.

This law tells us that for every effect there is a cause therefore for every problem there is a solution.

You get a splinter in your finger, that causes pain.

You remove the cause of the pain – pull out the splinter – the pain goes away.

And that’s the law. If you remove the cause the problem disappears.

Solving problems is very simple. Recognizing the cause-effect relationship is more problematic.

Let me give you some examples:

Poverty, war, drug addiction, Donald Trump, prostitution, terrorism and much, much, more of our social problems are actually no problems at all. They are symptoms. Hence they cannot be fixed because we are violating the law we just explained in the previous paragraph.

You can’t fix a problem by treating the symptoms. You have to remove the cause.

Donald Trump, to pick a hot and controversial issue, is not a problem like most people believe. He is a symptom.

By fighting DT we are not addressing the “cause” that propelled him in the White House.

We are fighting the symptom and the effect of that is actually exactly the opposite of what we want. The result is we are making Trump’s position even stronger.

In the 2020 elections, unless the economy goes into a recession, DT will be reelected possible by a landslide. And I am willing to bet on that.

We have declared war on alcohol and drugs, on prostitution and poverty on inequality and terrorism, just to mention a few. We have not won a single one of those wars and we are never going to win any of them because they are not problems and because we are not looking at what causes them, which is where the real problems are.

And here is where the complexity of systems comes into play.

A simple cause and effect problem is easy to see and easy to solve.

You broke your glasses; you buy a new pair of glasses.

When it comes to complex systems like relationships or social and economic problems there is no simple cause and effect interaction but a series of causes all acting and interacting at the same time.

If you have a bad relationship in your life, you try to analyze all possible causes and eliminate them hoping to fix the relationship.

By trial and error, we can logically eliminate all the problems and make the relationship work.

This approach works for any complex system.

But even then you may not fix the problems and the relationship will fail

So you will try a new relationship and another and another.

If these relationship failures turn into a repeating pattern you have to stop and ask:

What is the one constant one feature all these bad relationships have in common?

Yup, that would be you. So fixing the problem would be replacing you with a better you.

Very simple. Yes I know it is very hard to change but I never said I’ll give you an easy way to fix your problems just a simple one.

And last but not list. Problems do not fix themselves and contrary to popular belief problems do not disappear in time if we ignore them, they just get even worse.

So catching a problem when it first starts is easier to fix than after it gets complicate.

Fixing your problem ASAP is the best way to deal with your problems.